Ardmore Statue Finally Turns Into A Fountain

More than a month after its ribbon-cutting ceremony—and nearly seven months after its installation, Ardmore's new water fountain, the centerpiece of a project to spruce up Lancaster and Ardmore Avenues, started flowing Friday morning.

In a brief 8:30 a.m. ceremony, project director Angela Murray, Lower Merion Parks and Recreation director Lindsay Taylor, and parks supervisor Dave D'Angelis flipped the "on" switch and ushered in a wetter, more aesthetic era for Ardmore's downtown.

The fountain, located in front of the Ardmore branch of Bryn Mawr Trust, was installed in November. But plans to make it operational were delayed, first due to cold weather, then again in the Spring when rain and chillier than expected temperatures made it difficult to paint the base of the pool.

The roughly 10-foot tall fountain, which supports three tiers of pools that spill over into one another and finally into a base pool, was somewhat controversial even before the delays.

While the fountain itself cost $135,000, the larger revitalization project came in $250,000 over budget and cost $900,000—the entirety of which the Township will pay for, after a Montgomery County grant for the project fell through.

The fountain will be monitored by the Lower Merion Department of Parks and Recreation, but its day-to-day maintenance is the responsibility of Bryn Mawr Trust.